The second conversation takes place between me and Scott, a baby-faced Marine who has served two tours in Iraq (and is expecting to be called up again any day). We’re standing 2 feet away from the Republicans. As Scott tells it, his platoon spent almost two years roving around western Iraq doing the bidding of various local tribal bosses, fighting fierce and undefined battles against enemies who had been allies a week earlier.

His take on the war?

“It’s bullshit,” he says with a shrug. “We got no business there. We get played by all the locals. Guys are dying for nothing. Everyone’s losing their minds. It’s a disaster.”

Steinberg has an eye for the dark ironic detail that one would expect to find at an R convention. The trolls anxious to get in their shots go for the obvious. So some righties call Palin a MILF, get drunk and act superior to….well anyone in their way. The party of the Big Dog has had an escapade or four or six. Do these comment trolls just not get it. For forty or fifty years Cons have claimed their buckles are brighter, their shaves closer and their stuff don’t stink. So every time Newt or Bob or John or Sarah or George has a twenty year hangover or an pregers teen or a hooker attack that’s another entry in the Great Book of Hypocrisy. Non-R’s don’t have to worry about keeping count of our failings because somewhere along the line most of us decided to be adults, most of the time. Acknowledging that since the beginning of written history, up to and including that R rated tome known as the holy book, people have been screwing up and screwing around. Its not a good thing, but being in denial about being a sinner, to borrow a phrase, while simultaneously claiming moral superiority is why they brew beer and make Excedrin.

The study concluded that jazz and classical music fans are creative with good self-esteem, although the former are much more outgoing whereas the latter are shy.

Country and western fans were found to be hardworking and shy; rap fans are outgoing and indie lovers lack self-esteem and are not very gentle.

I’ve always had my suspicousions about people that stop listening to a band once that band becomes popular. Soul music fans are the best to be around. According to this study they’re comfortable with themselves, creative, outgoing and have a high level of self esteem. What if someone’s music collection just consists of stuff they could find to download for free off the intertubes. Wouldn’t that be like someone that drives a used Honda because they can’t afford the Z4 Roadster they’d like to have. Throws the you are what you listen to or drive thing off.